Novelty chopsticks

While some claim that the Japanese are paragons of good table manners, Japanese model kit and figurine manufacturer Kotobukiya has practically given us a reason to play with our food with their series of awesome novelty chopsticks.

There are currently 15 different designs, including “Star Wars” lightsaber chopsticks, Harry Potter wand chopsticks and even far too detailed “Alien” chopsticks. The latest in the lineup are chopsticks modeled after the blades of four members of the “shinsengumi,” a famous group of samurai from Japan’s late shogunate period.

All chopstick sets go for 1,050 yen and can be purchased in Japan from Kotobukiya’s online shop Kotobukiya direct. A few select sets can be purchased internationally via Kotobukiya’s English site as well as Amazon.com.

"While some claim that the Japanese are paragons of good table manners..." I've never heard anybody claim this. After many years of trying desperately not to complain about slurping (noodles OK; coffee not OK), salarymen smoking between courses at a restaurant, the picking of teeth with chopsticks, the raising of bowls to the mouth, the speaking while having a mouthful of food -- no enough is enough! If the Japanese can't recognize their own terrible table manners, let them by all means buy shoddy, cheap and totally crude chopsticks.